Improvement in books and covers



J. R. & H. H. EDWARDS.

BOQKSAND .covEns.

, ,4 Patented July 24, 1.87 7.

I nvencbrs.

.Amstl N. PETERS. IHOTO-LII'HDGRAPHERI WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES AT-ENT JOHN R. EDWARDS AND HEN BY H. EDWARDS, OF BALTIMORE,-MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT l-N; BOOKS AND COVERS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 935 394, dated July 24, 1877; application filed June 26, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN: R. EDWARDS and HENRY H. EDWARDS, both of the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in better-Books; and we hereby declare the same to be fully, clearly, and exactly described as follows:

Heretofore books intended for taking letterpress copies of manuscript have been constructed of a series of leaves of semi-bibulous paper, folded, sewed, and bound precisely as ordinary printed books are made. As a natural result the water applied to the leaves in using the letter-book soon causes the sewing to rot and the binding to give way. The book, being, moreover, of the usual construction, will not readily lie open; or, if it does, its leaves present a curve, which renders it no easy matter to fold them, when wetted, upon the manu' script to be copied, which, of course, conforms to the curve of the book-leaves. This is especially the case with a new letter-book of the usual construction. By the time it is half filled up, however, it is generally in a condition to lie open anywhere, if not to drop to pieces entirely.

In our letter-book these diflicnlties are all obviated, and further advantages secured. By the construction of the binder and stitching the entrance of the water to the back of the book is prevented, the right-hand page always presents a plane surface, and the cost of the letter-book is materially lessened.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of our book and binder; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view of the book opened; Fig. 3, a-front view of the binder; Fig. 3 a vertical sectional view of one form of binder; Fig. 4, a similar view of the back of the book, illustrating details of construction.

A represents the book, constructed of the usual semi-bibulous paper, and having an index, A, of sized paper, attached thereto in a manner and by means to be presently described. Instead of being folded and sewed through the back in the usual manner, the leaves are stitched through and through from side to side, as shown in Fig. 4, oneor more st-ripsot' card-board, a a, being inserted at the back, in

order to spread it slightly.

B represents the binder, which consists of a piece of sheet metal bent twice at right angles, as shown, the edge being turned over at b to form a holding-shoulder. The ends I) b of the shoulder 12 are compressed, as shown in Fig. 3 in order to facilitate the insertion of the book. V

The binder may either be attached to one side of a card-board back, 0, by rivets or tan gs, or, preferably, be continued clear across the back, its edge being folded over, as shown at d, Fig. 3. In this case the edge of the back should be beveled, in order to shed the water outward.

The book A is furnished with a cover of Manila, cartridge, or tag paper, and the in dex-pages are attached thereto as'follows: A suitable number of leaves to form the index are folded and attached by sewing to a suitable backing, preferably of Manila paper similar to the book-cover. The index may then be pasted directly upon the letter-book cover; or it may be attached thereto by stitching.

As an alternative, the under cover of the index may be dispensed with, its last page being'pasted upon the letter-book, in which case the upper cover should be allowed to project for a short distance on the under side of the index, in order to make a smooth joint;

The index-leaves are made somewhat narrower than those of the letter-book,'so. that when the edges are in line the backs will be in the position shown in Fig. 4. A piece of muslin, b, may be finally pasted over the backs of both index and book.

The object of placing the index as shown is twofold. Being flexibly attached to the book, and not being bound with it, the leaves of the index do not spring up and tend to close the letter-book when the latter is laid open, but readily lie back, as shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, the thickness of the index prevents possible injury to the binder by the press.

The back of the book, being spread by the pieces a (it, catches under the shoulder b of the binder, and securely retains the book therein, while the pressure of the latter tends to prevent the Water used in wetting the leaves from finding access to the back of the book.

When the book A is filled up it is slid out sidewise from the binder, and a new one is inserted.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In combination with a letter-book, a temporary binder, adapted to compressthe leaves of the book and prevent access of the Water to the stitching or binding, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the binder B, the book A, having one or more strips, (1, inserted at the back, as and for the purposeset forth.

3. The binder B, having shoulder 12 and beveled ends b b, substantially as described.

4. The book A, having strip a, in combination wii h the binder B, having shoulder b, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a letter-book and its index, a temporary binder, clamping only the former, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the book A, having the flexibly-attached index A, the binder B, having a single rigid cover, 0, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth. I

JOHN R. EDWARDS.

- HENRY H. EDWARDS. Witnesses:

R. D. WILLIAMS,

HARRY T. HEANEY. 

